Dear Bounty & Soul Family,

Bounty & Soul is deeply committed to the health and well-being of the community. It is what you have trusted and helped us to do all these years and we couldn’t be more grateful. On behalf of the board and staff, we want you to know that during this challenging time, we are being called to deliver on our promise of providing healthy food and support to our community in this great time of need and we are doing so in a BIG WAY…TOGETHER. It is our priority to ensure the health and safety of our staff, volunteers and community members as we navigate this crisis and we are following the guidance of the WHO, CDC and state and local officials to quickly adapt to take the necessary precautions. This is what we are doing to provide much-needed resources while providing safety and protection:

• We will be hosting drive-thru pick up sites for participants to collect pre-made healthy food boxes. Tuesdays at St. James Episcopal Church Parking Lot from 11am-1pm and Fridays at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church Parking Lot from 4-6pm. We are asking that no one arrives to the site prior to the scheduled times.
• We have cancelled all of our classes, kids activities and after-school programming as to follow the guidance for social distancing until further notice. Recognizing the importance of staying well, we will STILL provide healthy recipes, helpful tips, resources and education (including how to manage stress in a crisis) through printed materials, social media and on our website. Hope-filled messages and affirmations will also go into boxes.
• We have hand sanitizer, gloves, masks and constant messaging on washing hands set up at our volunteer shifts and at the distribution sites as well as ask everyone to take the following steps and precautions:

(1) Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer immediately upon entering new spaces.

(2) Avoid shaking hands, touching your face, nose and eyes and other personal contact.

(3) Cough or sneeze into your elbow, not hands. If your cough/sneeze is persistent, consider using a mask if available. 

(4) If you have a fever, respiratory symptoms or feel unwell please stay home.

(5) If you have traveled internationally or flown recently please refrain from activities at this time.

Thank you for your commitment and support in ensuring that Bounty & Soul continues to get Produce to The People during this time of uncertainty. Now, more than ever we must come together as a community, as a nation, as a world to be there for one another, support and love each other. It’s the Bounty & Soul way…

In solidarity, health and love,

Ali, Abbie, Adam, Karla, Linda, Fitz and the Board of Bounty & Soul

HOW YOU CAN HELP
(1) Donate Funds to Help Us Purchase Bulk Grains and Other Shelf-Stable Items
(2) Donate Food/Organize a Food Drive/Write hope-filled messages of encouragement to go into boxes
(3) Deliver Benevolent Boxes to Seniors and other Vulnerable Populations

Contact Karla at [email protected] to learn more about any of these opportunities.

Bounty & Soul is also in need of small boxes from Ingles and/or reusable bags. These can be dropped off at our office located at 999 Old US Hwy 70 W, behind the Swannanoa Valley Medical Center.

On April 28, MountainTrue will host a webinar during which Callie Moore, MountainTrue’s Western Regional Director, will present the organization’s analysis of specific water-related issues in the draft management plan for the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests. Register to receive access to the webinar:
https://mountaintrue.org/event/forest-plan-info-session-water-quality/

Those who register before Monday 4/27 will receive Callie’s presentation slides in advance and have the opportunity to submit questions before the presentation. We will also have about 15 minutes for live Q&A at the end of the presentation.

This event is a Zoom Webinar, which is a little different from a regular Zoom meeting. When you join the event, you will be muted and your video will be turned off.

Starting on Tuesday, March 24, Ingles will dedicate the first shopping hour from 7 – 8 am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to senior shoppers and those with compromised immune systems.

Publix Markets reserves 7-8 a.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for customers age 65 and older. Home delivery is available through Instacart.

Tune in with me on Facebook Live each morning at 7:30am for a 20 minute live meditation with didgeridoo. I’ll be guiding you through simple and effective ways that will help you to:

• Calm your nervous system
• Become more resilient to stress
• Get you ready for the day and evening

The intention is for you to learn this simple skillset quickly and use it right now to stay centered, balanced and show up for yourself, your family, and your community.

The more of us that can do that, the better! I hope to see you soon.  

Warmly, 

Corey Costanzo

ps If you miss the live meditation, check our website later in the day. We will be uploading all recordings. 

2020 Wildwater Worlds

Nantahala Racing Club and Nantahala Outdoor Center are proud to host the 2020 ICF Wildwater World Championships, bringing over 150 athletes from 30 countries around the world to the Southeastern US. We are thrilled to welcome these athletes, their families, and their teams to our home and are excited to facilitate this competition of top-level athletes in April 2020!

As the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, Nantahala Gorge, and Appalachian Trail, Bryson City is the ideal location for outdoor recreation and suited for all levels of adventure!

Learn how to reverse the very real and devastating impact of stress through the SIMPLE practice of instinctive meditation that will profoundly shift your life.

Instinctive meditation means it’s natural and our bodies are wired to do it easily and efficiently. All we need to do is to set up the right conditions and our bodies will eagerly cooperate. Learn the skill set needed to meditate on your own even if you have a racing mind and little spare time.

Dropping into deep relaxation on a regular basis helps you to be calm in the face of overwhelm and urgency, can improve your health, and help you be more responsive and less reactive to challenges.

This will be a live webinar on Zoom. You can attend from anywhere that is comfortable to you. Once you register, you will get instructions on how to log in to the event. You will have the option of having your video on or off. You can also call in using a phone number. Link to zoom class:
https://mailchi.mp/9e1057b0227e/meditation-asheville-salt-cave

We’ll start with the basic principles of this approach. Then you will learn and practice some basic skills. This will be followed by a longer guided meditation where you can incorporate the basic skills. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions during the class.

A weekly Zoom drop-in class in instinctive meditation will run on Wednesdays from 10:00-11:00 am EST starting April 29 and running for 12 weeks.
Drop in as you can. Each class will cover a different technique.

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day and the 25th Anniversary of the GLOBE program, the Buncombe County Library System and NASA are challenging you to make every tree count by using the GLOBE observer app to contribute to a global tree inventory.

Learn more at observer.globe.gov/trees-2020

To join the library team and become a citizen scientist download the free GLOBE observer app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Create an account, go to settings, click on JOIN a GLOBE Team, and type in the referral code: GLIDCTAZ.

You are now part of our Citizen Scientist team, Friends of Treebeard! Follow the directions and head outside!

Happy Earth Day teammate!

Every Wednesday from 12-6pm, Carolina Hemp Company and Ambrose West, alongside their neighbors on West Asheville’s Beachm’s Curve, will host a community aid drive to gather and donate supplies and food to support local emergency relief efforts. Recipients include Homeward Bound, Western Carolina Rescue Ministries, 12 Bones, the YMCA, and more! As Asheville’s Hometown Hemp Company, Carolina Hemp Company values their local community, and believes in supporting each other when in need. In times such as these, we are reminded of the unfortunate imbalance in society’s ability to afford and have access to basic necessities. The Carolina Hemp Company mission is and always has been Bringing Balance Through Hemp and they now have the opportunity to practice this through service to the Asheville community. While being encouraged to separate, it is important we still band together to pool resources, communicate, and take care of each other. Carolina Hemp Company will be collecting non-perishable food items, cooking essentials, health and wellness products, cleaning and sanitation supplies, and general toiletries, and camping gear to load into the Hemp Xpress Trolley and distribute to local organizations who are dedicated to providing shelter, food and health services to those who need it most. Updates and detailed information will be posted to the Beacham’s Curve Aid Supply and Food Drive event page on the Carolina Hemp Company facebook page.

The staff is committed to practicing conscious handling and delivery of all supplies through hand washing, wiping down items, and limited contact between donors, themselves, and the receiving organizations’ representatives

We hope you are keeping calm and well during these challenging times.

To help keep us calm and in touch, the Prama staff is inviting you to a free live group meditation every Wednesday at 6pm.  The session will last about 30 minutes, including a guided meditation and a short talk on aspects of meditation practice.

We hope you will find these meditations helpful and something that you can continue to practice throughout the week.

The event is free though any contribution is appreciated.

If you are planning to attend just one week or multiple weeks, please sign up and we will email you the Zoom Link!

Tune in with me on Facebook Live each morning at 7:30am for a 20 minute live meditation with didgeridoo. I’ll be guiding you through simple and effective ways that will help you to:

• Calm your nervous system
• Become more resilient to stress
• Get you ready for the day and evening

The intention is for you to learn this simple skillset quickly and use it right now to stay centered, balanced and show up for yourself, your family, and your community.

The more of us that can do that, the better! I hope to see you soon.  

Warmly, 

Corey Costanzo

ps If you miss the live meditation, check our website later in the day. We will be uploading all recordings. 

2020 Wildwater Worlds

Nantahala Racing Club and Nantahala Outdoor Center are proud to host the 2020 ICF Wildwater World Championships, bringing over 150 athletes from 30 countries around the world to the Southeastern US. We are thrilled to welcome these athletes, their families, and their teams to our home and are excited to facilitate this competition of top-level athletes in April 2020!

As the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, Nantahala Gorge, and Appalachian Trail, Bryson City is the ideal location for outdoor recreation and suited for all levels of adventure!